American V-Twin Dealer Show Announced

Advanstar Communications introduced a major new event initiative Thursday by announcing the launch of the American V-Twin Dealer Show – the first premium trade show for the V-Twin Motorcycle Industry.

The American V-Twin Dealer Show will be held Feb. 17-19, 2012 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis as a truly distinct event experience and destination environment for all things V-Twin.

The American V-Twin Dealer Show will be a haven for Independent Specialty V-Twin Dealers, Harley-Davidson Dealers, Custom Bike Builders/Designers and Multi-Franchise Dealerships with large cruiser lines.

The Show will deliver: cutting-edge products and services, a totally customized educational experience helping dealers solve their biggest hot-button business issues, an exclusive auction of used Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a unique environment in the brand new halls of the Indiana Convention Center for product buying, education, industry networking and entertainment.

The American V-Twin Dealer Show will deliver the single most influential gathering ofV-Twin specific products and services available in the marketplace today and beyond. The American V-Twin Dealer Show will be a stand-alone event co-located with Dealer Expo, the US’ largest Powersports Trade Show, but with its own registration, educational and learning component, separate environment and unique brand.

As part of this initiative Advanstar has secured Grady Pfeiffer, one of the most experienced V-Twin motorcycle industry executives, as a key partner and brand ambassador for this major expansion of their Powersports portfolio.

Grady is the CEO of GH Marketing in Escondido, CA – a specialty marketing firm that creates sales and marketing programs for motorcycle aftermarket manufacturers. As one of the leading trailblazers in the V-Twin Industry, Grady has been instrumental in the initial creation of the V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati and is a regular member of many industry advisory boards and panels that are shaping the future of the American-made V-Twin Motorcycle Industry.

With a unique insight into V-Twin dealers and manufacturing brands, Grady will be advising, developing and guiding the sales and marketing strategy for the American V-Twin Dealer Show to ensure a relevant, impactful and authentic event for the industry.

Other key partners underwriting the successful launch of the American V-Twin Dealer Show include Biker’s Choice, the V-Twin division of leading distributor Tucker Rocky, Custom Chrome, and National Powersport Auctions (NPA) as cornerstone participants in the new venture. In addition, leading V-Twin companies such as Belt Drives Ltd., Cycle Visions and Danny Gray have also formalized their commitment to the 2012 Show.

Jay Goldstein (CFO, Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice) says: "Biker’s Choice is thrilled to partner with Advanstar as an anchor tenant in the inaugural American V-Twin Dealer Show. We believe this Show will provide an incredible value to the Harley/American V-Twin community with an extraordinary lineup of tailored events and activities.

"Furthermore, the multiline dealers who cross over to metric as well as the American V-Twin will benefit from the synergy of experiencing two separate environments under the umbrella of one industry show."

Holger Mohr (President and CEO of Custom Chrome) says: "Given the quickly changing landscape of the V-Twin community, containing costs and maximizing investment is vitally important to every business decision we make. By choosing to align Custom Chrome with the American V-Twin Dealer Show, I am confident we can not only achieve this goal, but also reach a broader buying audience. The American V-Twin Dealer Show represents an exciting new opportunity for us to redefine how we engage with our current and future customers."

Danny Phillips (Executive Vice President of Advanstar Communications) says: "Between Grady Pfeiffer’s wealth of industry knowledge and highly influential V-Twin relationships, the Show’s powerful leveraged affiliations and secured partnerships, and a co-located Dealer Expo event for those dealers who service and sell to a more diverse set of powersports consumers, the American V-Twin Dealer Show is on a trajectory to redefine and lead the V-Twin Industry in the 21st century. We are thrilled to have Grady and such a stellar list of brands as part of this important program to really help the V-Twin Industry grow again."

The American V-Twin Dealer Show will first and foremost be a trade show dedicated to conducting serious business transactions and gathering sound business operations expertise from dealers who are thriving in turbulent times.

For dealers who are operating within strict regulatory and operating environments, the Show will feature education on how to survive and thrive. For Independent V-Twin Dealers, Custom Bike Builders, and Multi-Franchise Dealers with their own unique challenges, the Show will deliver success stories and real-world insights on the very best of American-made innovation, products and passion.

For manufacturers, the American V-Twin Dealer Show delivers only pre-qualified and pre-segmented buyers looking to source new and used V-Twin bikes and aftermarket parts, products, and accessories. In this vein, a partnership with NPA will bring the world’s largest auction of Harley-Davidson used bikes ever staged at a trade show-a huge draw for those dealers who can now take care of all their business needs in one February weekend at Indy.